Victoria Harrison’s mother ‘can finally grieve now’

Michael Whelan

The mum of a Wellingborough teenager who died at Kettering General Hospital after a routine operation says she can only now properly begin to grieve after a report into her daughter’s death was made public.

Victoria Harrison was 17 years old when she was found dead in her bed at Kettering General Hospital, the morning after she had been admitted for an appendix operation.

An artery had been nicked during the operation and Victoria bled to death internally.

An inquest was held in December last year in which coroner Anne Pember highlighted a number of failures in the hospital’s communication between staff and in observations given to post-operative patients.

However, Kettering General Hospital then refused to release its official report into Victoria’s death, saying that it had concerns over the mental health of staff.

The report was made public for the first time just a few days ago, after a panel revisited the decision not to release it following an appeal.

Speaking to the Telegraph at her Irthlingborough home this week, Victoria’s mum Tracy Foskett said she had mixed feelings about the report being made public.

She said: “I think people have a right to know, but I was given the option to release it months ago and chose not to because I had forgiven those involved and wanted everyone to start moving on.

“Things were very hard after Victoria died. I started drinking a lot more and I did not feel like I could start grieving until after the inquest.

“I did not agree with the reasons for not releasing the report, that it would affect the mental health of staff, because I had lost my daughter and my health had been affected.

“I set up a Facebook page to get people’s views as well.”

Mrs Foskett, who lives with her husband Stan in Irthlingborough, said Kettering General Hospital had always been very open about the circumstances of Victoria’s death and the hospital’s director of nursing and quality, Clare Culpin, had been a great help to the family.

She added: “The hospital has set up new procedures as a legacy to Victoria and I hope these make a difference.”